Becoming an SSI Certified Open Water Diver is the first step in unlocking a whole new world to explore underwater. SSI's Open Water Diver Course will teach you the necessary skills needed in order to safely scuba diver underwater with a dive buddy. To enroll in SSI's Open Water Diver Course, you must be at least 10 years old and know how to swim.
In SSI's Open Water Diver Course, you'll learn how to safely breathe underwater with a regulator and air tank, how to slowly ascend and descend in order to prevent decompression sickness, how to properly care for diving equipment, and much more. The academic part of the Open Water Diver Course is available online through SSI's website or directly on your phone through the MySSI app. After you complete the online course, you will take the written exam in our classroom here at The Scuba Shop. Then you will complete 6 dives in our indoor pool. Finally, you will complete 4 open water dives for your lake checkout, which is usually at Wheeler Branch Reservoir in Glen Rose, Texas, unless otherwise specified. You will earn the SSI Open Water Diver certification after completing this program.